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<title>(no) rest for the weary by Slice_of_Apple</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27667285">(no) rest for the weary</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slice_of_Apple/pseuds/Slice_of_Apple'>Slice_of_Apple</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Heavy on the angst, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Self-indulgent drabble, Spoilers, Sweet, heavy on the comfort, slushy, takes place after season 3 of anime but doesn't necessarily follow story line</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:01:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>672</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27667285</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slice_of_Apple/pseuds/Slice_of_Apple</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren can't sleep. Jean sits with him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jean Kirstein/Eren Yeager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>173</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>(no) rest for the weary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Eren sits in front of the fire, staring at the dancing flames. <em>Is it ever going to end?</em> he wonders, as he has countless times before. He doesn’t know why he wastes energy wondering. He knows it’s never going to end. Not in his lifetime, anyway. He has only a few years left, after all.</p><p>            Eren is tired, and easy prey for these types of thoughts. He didn’t lose any limbs today, but it was a long fight. There were three ships,  two of them battle cruisers, and crushing them into bits of driftwood took a lot out of him</p><p>            He’s worn out, but he can’t sleep. He glances enviously at Armin, curled up on the other side of the fire, fast asleep. Armin is always exhausted after a stint as the colossal titan. He usually sleeps like the dead as long as he’s allowed. He has to be woken up to eat and drink before drifting off again.  </p><p>            Eren often has trouble sleeping, these days. His body is wasted, but his mind is restless. He’s thinking too much, that’s the problem. Thinking about all their dead friends. Thinking about the lives he himself has snuffed out.</p><p>            Things are peaceful back home. They’ve been able to rebuild, reconstruct, recreate so much of what was destroyed. But the Scouts don’t have much peace. Their main job these days is defense. Which means killing any enemies who make their way to these shores. Eren has so much blood on his hands that they’re slippery with it. So much blood, he’ll never be able to wash it off.</p><p>            Eren knows he’s the sacrificial lamb, or at least one of them. The ones who have to steep their hands in blood so those back home don’t have to. Maybe in the next life, he’ll be a doctor, like his father was, or a teacher. He’s getting tired of tearing things apart – of tearing people apart</p><p>            Eren watches the flames twist and turn in front of him until he hears soft footsteps approach.</p><p>            “You want company?” asks a familiar, beloved voice.           </p><p>            He nods without turning around.</p><p>            A body settles down behind him, drawing him in.</p><p>            He feels Jean’s lips on his head, and he leans back. At last, he can relax. At last, he can let go.</p><p>            Jean falls back slightly at the sudden weight, then stiffens, bearing Eren up.</p><p>            “You okay?”</p><p>            Eren shakes his head, “No.”</p><p>            But Jean doesn’t ask for any explanation. Nor does he offer any words of solace. His hand comes up, and he gently strokes Eren’s arm before sliding his own around Eren. He kisses Eren’s temple, his stubble rough against Eren’s skin.</p><p>            Jean is tired too. Eren can feel it in the heaviness of his arm.</p><p>            They’re both bone-weary.</p><p>            Nonetheless, Jean is holding him up. Jean’s thighs are strong against his; Jean’s arm is firm around his chest. Their bodies know this dance too well. They’ve melded together, over the years, until they fit with a perfect, practiced ease. Sometimes they have to make adjustments; Jean’s right leg turns out now, twisted from a poorly healed break, and he has too many scars to count. But he’s still the one bolstering Eren up.</p><p>            “I love you.” It’s the ghost of a whisper in Eren’s ear. Eren smiles. Oh, how he loves Jean, too. With all the strength of his titan heart, he loves Jean. He doesn’t like to think about it, though. Because then he has to think about how much it will hurt when Jean dies. Or how much it will hurt Jean when he dies. So he doesn’t say anything back. Jean doesn't expect it. He never does.</p><p>            Instead, Eren tilts his head and brushes his lips against Jean’s rough cheek.</p><p>            He leans back fully into Jean and feels his muscles relax, give up. His mind is tired now. All the restless, useless energy is drifting away, fading into the night air.</p><p>            Jean is wrapped around him; Jean’s breath is in his ear. Eren sighs.</p><p>            Finally, he can sleep.</p>
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